Cap



Aug. 4, 1953 D. D. HUTTON 2,647,259

CAP

Filed Dec. 20, 1951 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 CAP Dorothy Dear Hutton, New York, N. Y.

Application December 20, 1951, Serial No. 262,525

3 Claims.

This invention relates to caps for women and is directed to the provision of a bathing cap of a distinctive and improved form eliminating a deficiency of womens bathing caps as heretofore made. With those prior forms of caps, the operations of applying and removing the cap are accompanied by a derangement of the hair which is decidedly objectionable, so much so that it is of frequent occurrence that women do not go into the water when they would like to because this derangement causes an amount of inconvenience and annoyance for which the desired bath is insuficient recompense.

A common form of bathing cap for women as heretofore made is one which includes a closefltting cap-part which comes down snugly over the head, so snugly that it may appropriately be termed a skull cap. This may be formed of an elastic material or be provided with elastic material at its edge and this elastic material is stretched in the operations of putting on the cap and removing the cap, and, when the cap is in place, the contraction of the elastic causes the edge of the cap to press upon the surface of the head enough to exclude water. Such a cap is satisfactory insofar as concerns the exclusion of water, but the operations of applying it and removing it, and the pressure applied to the hair while it is being worn, any one or all of these, result in deranging the hair to a disagreeable and regrettable extent.

Another type of womens cap available on the market and described in the literature is one which is not of the skull cap variety, but instead extends loosely over the head and is of a soft flexible material and is provided with an elastic extending part or all the way around the opening. Such a cap may be applied or removed only by stretching this elastic which is depended upon to hold the edge of the cap close to the face and neck to exclude water. In applying or removing a cap of this type, derangement of the hair occurs almost invariably to a greater or less extent, the extent of the derangement depending upon the care with which this elastic is stretched and held extended over a considerable part of its length throughout the operation of applying or removing the cap.

My improved cap is distinctive in that the cap or hood portion is of a soft pliable material and is of ample size to be applied and removed without mussing the hair. This hood or cap portion is applied or removed without any stretching of any part of its structure and means are provided whereby, when the operation of applying the hood 2 portion to the head has been completed without deranging the hair to any appreciable extent, then something else is done to effect the necessary tightening around the face to accomplish the exclusion of water.

Preferably the cap is made of a thin, stretchable material such as latex, and, as stated, the hood portion of the cap is of ample size to permit of putting it on and taking it off while in a limp, non-stretched condition without deranging the hair. Integral with this hood portion at the lower part of the sides thereof are lateral extensions in the form of strip members, which, when the cap has been applied to the head, project forwardly below the ears. These strip members may be grasped at their end portions and brought forward over the ears and upward over the forehead,

stretching the material adequately in doing so,

and then fastened over the forehead in any suitable manner, as for instance, by one or more snap fasteners. The stretching of the material of the strip members to accomplish this brings the strip members down closely upon the sides of the face and forehead of the wearer with the edge portions of the strip members overlying the front side edge of the hood portion of the cap, and, when the end portions of the strip members are snapped into securing position, the cap is sufficiently tight to exclude water. Incident to removing the cap, the

strip members are un'snapped and released,

whereupon they contract to their initial dimensions, and the cap is again a limp, flexible covering which may be removed from the head without deranging the hair in an operation which requires no particular care.

I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which Fig- 1 is a front view of the cap, Fig. 2 is a side view in section, and Figs. 3 and 4 show the cap applied to the head of a wearer, Fig. 3 showing the cap before the strip members are stretched to their .final position, and Fig. 4 showing the strip members stretched and fastened in their securing position.

The bathing cap as illustrated is made of a thin, light, limp, flexible material and is of such size that the hood portion 5 fits loosely over the head, so loosely that it does not derange the hair. After it is applied, it is drawn up to an adequately water-tight condition by strip members 6 and 1 of stretchable material extending forwardly from the portion 8 of the cap corresponding to the back of the head just below the level of the ears. Preferably the entire cap, the hood portion 5 and these integral tightening strip members 6 and I,

are made of a thin, limp, stretchable material, such as latex.

The application of the cap to the head requires no stretching of this material and no application of force, and its application, even when accomplished without the exercise of any particular care, does not occasion derangement of the hair. Then when the hood portion has been applied, the integral stretchable strip members are drawn forwardly and upwardly along the face in front of the ears and up over the forehead. During such operation the lower edge portion H! at the back of the cap will be caused to lie snugly against the back of the head at the base thereof and the strip members will be stretched to such an extent that their elasticity will cause them to lie closely against the sides of the face and against the forehead -with the rear edge portions l I of the strip members overlying the front side edges e of the hood portion- 5. The end portions of the strip members are crossed at the middle of the rcreneacrane fastened there in any suitable manner; as for instance by one or more snap fasteners 9 shown in the drawing.

With these strip members so applies and fastened, they hold theedge of the hood portion at the back closely tothe base"- of the-head and at the sides and treat closel to the sides of the face andto the forehead with the result that water is effectually exci uded When it isdesired to remove the cap, the strip members are released one from the other at-the sna fastener and they contract to their original condition,- whereupon the hood} portion of the-cap is" released, and, on account ofits large" size and the limp condition 01 the material fromwhich itis made, it may be removed from the head without the application of force to strertch' any part-er it and without deran ging the hair In the foregoing, the cap is described as for use in bathing in which the wearer is attimes submerged, butits'uses extend beyond that.- It is'w'ell adapted for use taking a shower bath; and is userulals-b in a household 'ora hospital to" exc-lhde dust andiodors from the hair, though for this latter useit may be found desirable'to use'a material other than sheet rubber for the head portion o'fthecap:

This improved" ferry: of ca may be applied and removed with great ease because there is no stretching to -te performed incident to either of those operations, and because of thatit may be applied and'rernoy'ed withbult deranging the hair. Once it has been applied, it maybe tight-- ened to exclude water, dust and odors a simple operation conveniently performed-of stretching the material of'the side stripmembersto draw the back" part of" the hood p'ort'iorr'in' and seal the front portion over the face.

I claim: p

1'. A cap having ahood portion of limp, flexible material and of suchlarger size tharr the head of a person that it may be applied to the head without stretching and derangexnerlt' of the hair; 'andalso of such size that" whenplaced on the head the lower edge portion at the back will lie against the back of the head at the base thereof and the front side edges will lie forward of the ears, and strip members of elastic material extending forwardly from the lower portion of the front side edges of the cap, said strip members being so positioned with respect to the side edges of the hood portion at the front thereof that they may be stretched and drawn forwardly and upwardly over the sides of the face and the forehead, and over the said edges f the hood portion and fastened together iii such position, thereby drawing the lower rear part of the hood portion against the base of the head at the back, the said edges of the hood portion being smooth on the inside to lie smoothly against the forehead and sides of the face when the strip members are stretched and held in place over them, to thereby more effectively effect a seal at'the' edges of the cap.

2. A cap having a hood portion of limp, flexible material and of such larger size than the head or a person thatit'rnaiy be applied to thie head Without stretching and derangement of the hair, and also of such size that placed on the head the-lower edge portion at the back will liea gainst the back of the head at" the base thereof and the front side edges will lie forward of the ears,- strip members of elastic materialextending forwardly from the lower poitioii of the front side edges of the hood portion to overlie the front edges of the hose portion at the sides and top of the face, and edsara tive fastener elements adjacent the ends; of the strip members and adjacent the front edge of the hood portion at a position to lie abdye' the top of the face, the .is'tano'e between the fastener elements at the free" ends of the strip members and their cooperative fastener elements at the front edge of the hoodportion, when the" cap is on a persons head; being such that the strip members must be stretched-to cause engagement of the cooperative fastener elements; tl'i said edges of the hood portion beingsmooth on the inside to he'- srnoothtyT against the forehead and sides of the face Whe'rrthe' strip mattersare stretched-and held' in positio'ii ever ttirri By the cooperative fastener eiai eatsaaas theset irire effectively effect a seal atthe edges of the" cap.

3-. A bathingcapas defined inclaim 2 in which the cooperaitivefastener elements or-tthehood portion are spaced lengthwise or the trend edge theretif, whereby, in securing the strip members in place, the'ir-free end portions ma bemused to overlap.

DOROTHY References Git'ed in the fil'e'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

